Ramsey County Invests $320M Without Raising Property Taxes

Ramsey County leaders just proved that investing big in your community doesn't have to mean bigger tax bills for residents.

The county's Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $320 million economic development plan designed to breathe new life into downtown St. Paul and ease the burden on property taxpayers. The kicker? Not a single dollar comes from new property tax increases.

"Through Building Stronger Together, Ramsey County is taking decisive action," said Board Chair Rafael Ortega at Tuesday's announcement. The plan leverages existing resources and strategic partnerships to accelerate housing development, grow local businesses, and strengthen the tax base countywide.

The initiative tackles growth through two major strategies. First, the "Building a Dynamic Downtown" approach focuses on attracting private investment to expand business activity and support new housing. Projects include the RiversEdge development, a new housing fund, converting empty offices into apartments, and improved public transit.

The second strategy involves selling more than 630 acres of county-owned land, including Rice Creek Commons, for redevelopment. These sales will bring in new businesses, create jobs, and generate ongoing tax revenue that benefits everyone.

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her joined state lawmakers and business leaders at River Park Plaza to celebrate the plan's approval. The gathering reflected broad support from community stakeholders who helped shape the vision through previous engagement efforts.

The Ripple Effect

This plan doesn't just benefit downtown businesses or future development projects. By expanding the tax base through new commercial activity and housing, Ramsey County can stabilize and potentially reduce the property tax burden on current homeowners.

When more businesses move in and more taxable property gets developed, the cost of running county services gets spread across a larger base. That means individual residents shoulder less of the load over time.

The initiative builds on community input from four major planning efforts: the Economic Competitiveness and Inclusion Plan, the Climate Equity Action Plan, the All-Abilities 2050 Transportation Plan, and the Transportation Improvement Program. The county plans to continue this collaborative approach with Economic Competitiveness and Inclusion Plan 2.0, giving residents ongoing opportunities to guide future investments.

Smart financial management made these investments possible without new taxes. The county is using existing resources and strategic bonding, including a legislative bonding request for the Park at RiversEdge project.

While specific timelines and property details will emerge as the plan moves forward, the framework is now in place for transformative growth that puts community wellbeing, prosperity, and opportunity at the center.

Ramsey County just showed other communities nationwide that bold investment and fiscal responsibility can work hand in hand.